3M Observes 50th Anniversary of Scotchlok Connectors

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AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This year, 3M and the telecom industry are celebrating the 50th
anniversary of 3M’s invention of the Scotchlok
connector, a small but powerful tool that has changed very little in
that 50 years but helped make a world of difference in the industry.
Communications craftspeople and electricians use Scotchlok connectors as
they install broadband, voice, data and video wiring in homes and
businesses. A commemorative promotional sweepstakes with instant prizes
and a Harley-Davidson Sportster grand prize are part of the anniversary
celebration this fall.

From September through December – or as long
as supplies last, game pieces will be inside 50-count packages of
Scotchlok connectors available at participating communications and
electrical distributorships. Using the code on each game piece,
craftspeople and electricians can go online to see if they are instant
winners of leather motorcycle jackets, 1957 Chevrolet die cast car
replicas, 1950s classic pay phones replicas, or T-shirts. Every time a
code from a game piece is entered, the player is automatically entered
in the sweepstakes for the 50th Anniversary Harley Sportster. The winner
will be announced in December.

The 3M Scotchlok Connector, which is an insulation-displacement
connector (IDC) or “U”
connector, came on the scene when most households had just one phone,
which was rented from the phone company for a monthly fee. Touch-tone
dialing was yet to come, and long-distance conversations were costly
(and usually brief). The world of communication is vastly different
today, with cell phones, satellite communications, e-mail and global
positioning satellites – but the demand for
wire splicing endures.

In the late 1950s, phone companies were adopting a new plastic-insulated
copper wire that was more reliable but more difficult to splice. That
resulted in demand for an efficient splicing method, and 3M inventors
came up with the IDC, reducing splicing to a single step. More than a
million Scotchlok connectors sold that first year. Today, billions of
Scotchlok connectors are connecting the world’s
telecom infrastructure, and more are installed around the globe each
day. 3M Scotchlok connectors include butt, tap and inline connectors and
are available dry or gel-filled. Flame-retardant versions are also
available.

For more information about 3M Scotchlok Connectors, contact the 3M
Communication Markets Division, A130-2N-14, 6801 River Place Blvd.,
Austin, Texas 78726-9000, USA, or call 800-426-8688. For more
information about 3M communication products, go to www.3M.com/telecom.

3M Communications

3M provides practical, scalable solutions to communications service
providers around the world. From military and government applications to
aerial, underground and buried plant, to central office, utilities and
more, it’s the widest and most comprehensive
suite of products, and it's all from 3M---a major force in the
telecommunications industry for more than 100 years. Our proven systems
optimize network testing, construction, locating and maintenance for
faster, more reliable high-bandwidth transmissions. 3M provides physical
media-layer capabilities for FTTP and DSL deployments from central
office to customer premises. Worldwide customers rely on 3M fiber optics
technologies to leverage existing infrastructure or install completely
new networks.

About 3M - A Global, Diversified Technology Company

Every day, 3M people find new ways to make amazing things happen.
Wherever they are, whatever they do, the company’s
customers know they can rely on 3M to help make their lives better. 3M's
brands include Scotch, Post-it, Scotchgard, Thinsulate, Scotch-Brite,
Filtrete, Command and Vikuiti. Serving customers around the world, the
people of 3M use their expertise, technologies and global strength to
lead in major markets including consumer and office; display and
graphics; electronics and telecommunications; safety, security and
protection services; health care; industrial and transportation. For
more information, including the latest product and technology news,
visit www.3M.com.

3M, Scotchlok, Scotch, Post-it, Scotchgard, Thinsulate, Scotch-Brite,
Filtrete, Command and Vikuiti are trademarks of 3M. All other trademarks
used here are the property of their respective companies.